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The night was a success. Maybe not much audience, but they enjoyed your songs, and the flattering looks of them showed that they loved the spectacle. The applause was sincere, and long enough to make the night worthwhile. After all, Amyra don't makes this for money. One of the waitresses of the "Bard's End" brings to her a small note. Amyra smiles, another proposal from an admirer...
"From whom is the note?"
The waitress looks confused. She turns to see the patrons, and back to Amyra.
"No... Who? Not sure... I forgot... Sorry."
It is not a normal note. It is a card from a harrow deck. The Bear. The paper is old, and has something written on the back. The scribbling is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Miss Amyra, the city of Korvosa needs your, and the Scourge's, help. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika"
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"Music is the strongest form of magic. Your secret is safe with me."
---
A small street child takes a note to Andras. She asked me to give this to you. A wide smile let you know he was paid a cooper or two for it. Requests for materials delivered in this way are common.
But this is no buy list. It is a sturdy and partially charred harrow card. The Paladin. He remembers his mother having a set, and him, as a child, looking at the drawings, marvelled at its colors. What happened to his mother's cards? Probably burn down with the house. This card is charred. Is it hers?
"A small girl gave it to me. No, I haven't seen her before."
The scribbling in the back is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Mister Andras, the murderers of your parents pretend to sacrifice the whole city to their dark interest. We need the Final Nail to stop them. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn, as discreetly as you can. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika."
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"The child delivering this can't read. Your secret is safe with me."
---
As he was about to discard the card where the woman had put her address the night before he realized it was not a piece of normal paper. It was a very expensive harrow card, like the ones Varisians furtune tellers use. The Winged Serpent. And instead of an address, there is a message. Who was the girl that handled the card to him? He can't recall her. The scribbling is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Mister Qot, those who your parents rejected and tried to stop are about to make their move, and now I need your help to stop them, and make them pay for their crimes,. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn, as discreetly as you can. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika."
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"The flying Shadow can stop them. Your secret is safe with me."
---
He takes a piece of cloth to wrap a recently made dagger, and from it falls a paper card. The figure in the ground shows a Blacksmith, with "The Forge" written at the bottom. It is an sturdy piece of paper, with a dark drawing on it. But, on the other side, a message. The scribbling is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Mister Riven. As yourself, there are those who wants to enslave the city of Korvosa, and after using it kill it. You managed to survive, and with your help the city will survive too. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn, as discreetly as you can. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika."
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"The Crimson Shrike will need to become what he was destined to. Your secret is safe with me."
---
One of the Waitresses hands her a thick piece of cardboard. A drawing of a cyclops pouring a drink from an old goblet to a fancy one, with the legend "The Publican" on it. Some scribblings on the back.
"What about this as a tip? Cheapskates!"
The scribblings are written in Orc.
"No, not sure who left it."
The scribbling is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Miss Tess, those who exploit the city are moving to kill it. We need heroes, as the ones your father told you about, to face them. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn, as discreetly as you can. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika."
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"The Angel is needed to avenge the humble. Your secret is safe with me."
---
One of his students brings Sinbad the Harrow Deck Card. The Dance. A graceful Varisian performer.
"Master, I found this lay down in the corner of the room. I can't read it, but seems addressed to you."
You know the young pupil can't read Shoanti. The scribbling is delicate and precise, almost artistic.
"Mister Sinbad, Gaedren Lamm, and those who handle him, want to destroy the city, and the city needs for all of his defenders to rise up and save it. Please ask for me at the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront tomorrow at dawn, as discreetly as you can. Me, and the city, will be always be in your debt. Alika."
A small coda can be seen at the end of the message.
"Your student don't know about the Baron. Your secret is safe with me."
---
Amyra continues to smile as she crumples the card and shoves it into her pocked unceremoniously. Her grandmother would have yelled at her for it, but the harrow had never been her thing. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to indulge just at the moment. Someone out there knew her secret, and at the moment, she had to concentrate on pretending that didn't piss her off.
"Alright, next round of drinks is on me," she announces, sidling up to the bar. The barmaid scowls at her, but Amyra just gives her a wink and a smile. "Come on, you know I'm good for it." She spends another couple of hours drinking, laughing, and joking with the other bar patrons before quietly extricating herself from the crowd and moving upstairs.
Once she's alone in her apartment, she lays the card down on the table to smooth it out. She does a quick check for any hidden codes or lingering magic that might cling to the card.
She spends most of the night after that pacing back and forth, wondering how she might have slipped up with her secret identity. Maybe it was changing in an alley she shouldn't have changed in, or maybe someone from the bar had gone snooping into her apartment? Whatever it was, she would have to go to the meeting to find out. She tries to get a couple hours of rest in before making preparations for the morning, gathering her supplies and studying her spells. She leaves the wand of magic missile behind to free up space in her tattoo chamber, and stows all of Scourge's gear in her bag.
"I can always change later. But the invitation came to Amyra, so they're getting Amyra.
Riven, his name before leaving, before the slavers, before Mwangi, before Lamm, before the Crimson Shrike.
He takes the Tarot and looks around making sure his employer or any customer isn't around then walks over to the flaming forge and throws the card in. Best to keep the secret he thinks to himself.
Riven, or Rake as he now calls himself goes about the rest of his day, working the forge, helping customers with a smile. Meanwhile in the back of his mind he ponders who could have figured it out and how.
"Oh I'll be there at dawn, but you'll have some explaining to do, whoever you are."
Tess will nod to the waitress, then deftly pocket the piece of cardboard and go back to serving drinks.
Once things were winding down, Tess will turn things over to her assistant manager, tally the votes for the seasonal beer, and then go to her office downstairs. Once inside, she will pull the card from her pocket and study it, trying to remember where she had seen it's like before.
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The card seems ordinary. It doesn't register as magic.
It seems like a normal store too.
Tess has seen those kind of cards used by varisian soothsayers, but has never been very interested on them.
He takes the Tarot and looks around making sure his employer or any customer isn't around then walks over to the flaming forge and throws the card in.
The card burns as normal, but the spark at the middle of it seems to burn first, brighter, than the rest of it. Like a real spark from a forge.
Tess will once again pocket her card, then leave out the front door again, saying goodnight to her staff and regulars, then once she breaks line of sight from the Azlanti will move into an alley and make her way to her sanctum, then change and hit the streets.
The night wind howls as the Avenging Angel runs across rooftops, looking for trouble. It is a dark night, but the minute lights appeared as miniature suns to her darkvision. She does her nightly lap around her district, looking for criminals and avoiding the attention of both the guard and the Sable Marines.
Andras breaks into sweat as he reads the card. "I've blown my cover! But where?!" He hastily pockets it and looks around, but the delivery boy is gone.
He spends the rest of the day preparing and delivering goods as normal, but is a bit more absent-minded than usual and mixes up a couple of orders. Settling this matter causes him to close shop a few hours later than usual and it's already dark by the time he draws the card and reads it again in the loneliness of his fireplace chamber. He ponders tossing it into the fire, but the impossible thought that it could have belonged to his mother stays his hand. Father's mysterious death made her superstitious in her late years, she could have well turned to Varisian customs as a consolation...
In the dead of the night, the evenly paced steps of the lone hellknight trace the perimeter of the Romani's music shop at Bridgefront before vanishing into the darkness of the dockside.
At dawn, Andras approaches the music shop, carrying a bag on his shoulder, with darkened eyes and unshaved cheeks betraying the look of a man who had a bit more fun than he could bear the night before. He looks around to see if there is anybody to address before coming in.
"Say, is this place open yet? I've just had a great party on the East Shore tonight, had a drink or five with that nice girl before she had to run off... But she told me I can find her here if I want, and you bet I do! Quite a charmer, that one!", he adds with a wink.
After a night of patrolling, Tess returns to her sanctum and changes, then makes her way to the shop.
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The shop is humble, but clean and in good repair. Some instruments are around, on sale. They seem of good craftsmanship.
A young woman, some 22 years, and varisian in appearance, is there playing a mandolin with ease and proficiency, while singing an old varisian lullaby song.
"Ai da nú-da nú-da nái
Da-rá da nú-da nai!
Ai da nú-da nú-da nái
Da-rá da nú-da nai!
Da-rá da nú-da nai!
Oh the tent is made of sack cloth:
In the tent, there is a forlorn girl.
And I’ll go around the village,
round the big cottages
If I bring pork, the children will eat.
But you young girl – don’t dispair
If I say the little words: Get ready!"
She turns to see you, with strange eyes, seemingly completely grey.
"Good morning my lords. No need for the precautions, you all are safe, and Alika will be here shortly to talk with you."
Amyra watches as the rough-looking fellow enters the magic shop, and waits a few minutes longer before following after. She keeps her eyes open, looking up and down the street as she approaches. Once she's inside, the sound of the familiar tune surprises her. Under different circumstances, she would have found it comforting, and even now it made her just a little less tense. "And who exactly are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"That's a lovely tune. Have you ever considered training to be a bard? We get some in the Azlanti on occasion."
When Rake gets there he scopes out the area around the shop before entering. Clearly agitated, he still listens to the young woman's tune. He see's the others step in one at a time and raises an eyebrow at each. Some he knows and some he doesn't but still says. "Why are you people here?" Then looks back at the girl, "What's the meaning of this? And who is this Alika person?"
"I am here because someone asked me to be. What about you?"
"I... I got a message to be here." Rake replies with a bit more snap than is necessary.
"Did your message say why?"
Andras tries his best not to look tense, but isn't very successful. A couple of faces look vaguely familiar to him and he struggles for a moment to remember - until he gets it: the wanted lists back from his time in the Guard. "A trap, clearly." he thinks. He looks around casually, trying to identify all possible exits from the building.
"Alika is a pretty common name here in Korvosa isn't it?", he offers nonchalantly. "If someone asked me to come up with a female name on a whim, that would be my first pick."
"I forget what it said. Never learned to read harrow myself," Amyra said, smirking at her own joke. No need to drop characted just yet. "but dawn is several hours earlier than I like to be awake, so if we could speed things along"
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"And who exactly are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"My name is Rozalina Romani, and I inherited this store."
"That's a lovely tune. Have you ever considered training to be a bard? We get some in the Azlanti on occasion."
The young woman smiles.
"Thank you, but I already have a trade, as crafter of musical instruments.""Why are you people here?" Then looks back at the girl, "What's the meaning of this? And who is this Alika person?"
She turns towards Rake (but doesn't make eye contact - in fact, she has not made eye contact with any of you).
"Alika needs your help, of every one of you, so she invited you here. You will meet her shortly."He looks around casually, trying to identify all possible exits from the building.
Perception=31
Lots of them. The door, jumping on the windows, probably the back door will eventually lead to an alley, as usual in this part of the city.
But most importantly, he realizes something else. There are small "guides" on the floor and walls. All the instruments are put in specific positions. The colors of the place are mismatched. The girl in front of you is blind."Alika is a pretty common name here in Korvosa isn't it?", he offers nonchalantly. "If someone asked me to come up with a female name on a whim, that would be my first pick."
"Yes, many girls here in Korvosa are name Alika because of her."
"but dawn is several hours earlier than I like to be awake, so if we could speed things along"
"I am sorry for the need to summon you at this hour, but it was important, or Alika would not have done it. We are almost ready, we need to wait just a minute more."
Dawn arrived and there was Qot, curiously, searching for the woman - Alika - near the Bridgefont. Peg-legging slowly, he finally arrived at the Romani music shop. He saw more people around and decided to give it some minutes, outside, inspecting the place. Whoever that person was, she knew his identity - and he wasn't happy with it.
Yet, was she probably an ally? Maybe - either that, or was more profitable to keep his secret and blackmail him. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath and entered the shop, looking deeply at the present - and almost immediately adopting his posture to pretend he was at the wrong place if needed be.
If it's a trap, then not just for me - and a mighty strange one, Andras deduces.
He is still tense, but now with uncertainty more than fear.
"Why did Alika choose your store to invite us? Is it her who needs help - or you?"
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Rozalina smiles.
"Alika is very... mysterious. She sometimes asks strange things from you, things you don't understand until much time has passed. This morning she needs my help, and I willingly give it to her, as she is trying to save the city from a terrible danger. But now..." - She looks at Qot - "... we are ready and can continue."
She stands using his hands for support, and slowly moves towards the back of the store, using his hands to orient herself and avoiding tripping into things.
"Please follow me, all of you, Alika will see you there."
---
If you follow her:
There is a small room, furnished as for a Varisian woman. Humble, but clean. Rozalina Romani lays in the bed and closes her grey eyes, crossing her hands in her chest.
"Alika will be here in a minute."
Suddenly she starts to tremble slightly, and make moaning sounds.
Then she sits in the bed, her eyes closed.
"I am here."
Her face gets serious, and she starts to talk, eyes closed.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. And great evil, and hunger, and sickness, and darkness, rise up from the pits at the bottom of Korvosa, reaching up to poison and control the head of the monarch of the city. I fear for the inhabitants of the city, as they will suffer greatly, and unless we are able to destroy this great evil, they are doomed."
Her eyes, still closed, seems to shed a tear.
"There are no treasures to plunder here. There is no recognition or reputation to gain. No one will remember us, or know what he have done. Only ourselves will witness our labors. Only us will carry the burden of our toils."
She shakes her head.
"Only for the good of the people we will sacrifice everything. Only for them we will suffer. Only I will thank you for it."
Her face shows a sad smile.
"I already know your answer, but I have to ask anyway. Will you help Korvosa's people? Will you help me in my mission?"
She reaches with her hand.
"Will you do what must be done?"
I had been doing what has to be done - this thankless job I'm destined to do - for almost my entire short life. I will keep fighting for good, no matter what. I ask, however - who are you?
Qot was serious on his words, keeping a severe tone in his voice; he was by a wall near the door, holding against his walking cane. His eyes would touch all of the present as he spoke.
Amyra let out a low whistle and gave a few soft, polite claps. "Great show. Really, just fantastic. I especially love the bit with the arms across the chest, nice touch that was. But cute little theatrics aside, I'm going to need a very good reason to believe anything you have to say."
There were enough soothsayers in her own family tree that she knew only about half of them were the real thing if she was being generous. She was willing to help those in need - if they were truly in need - but it would take a lot more to convince her that the danger was real.
"I'm more than happy to help people, but what is it specifically that you want from us?"
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"Now you receive the Vision. From the Tangled Briar at the bottom of the Keep the Tyrant awakens, as the Courtesan, lead by the Demon's Lantern, puts his mask on and gets a Beating. Now, when the Eclipse comes, Korvosa will fear and cry towards the heavens as it dies. Unless those who walk with a different name and face challenge them, and prevail against the coming Cyclone, leading an Uprising against the Fiend. You don't believe, but you all know the Mountain Man, the one you know as Gaedren Lamm, and I can lead you to him. You will defeat the Crows, and find the Hidden Truth."
She smiles.
"You are The Bear, The Paladin, The Winged Serpent, The Forge and The Publican. Together you are Korvosa's last hope."
Rozalina, or is it Alika, points outward.
"He is at the Waxworks. Its previous owner died when a devilfish attacked his boat, and now he uses it as a hideout. Is a place where desperate anglers can sell off their less fetching catches and where fishmongers dump their old sun-tainted wares that reek with the first hints of decay. The Lost toil among the guts and slime, creating a foul-smelling slurry that can then be resold as bait, fertilizer, and dock-dumplings."
"The Mountain Man himself lounges in his secret chambers in the Waxworks underbelly, accessible only by braving the scum-slick narrows beneath the structure itself. Here, he plays for hours at cards with The Crows, counts his coins and examines his stolen goods, and hurls buckets of chum to his beloved."
You're referring to the Old Fishery, right? So... Lamm has secret chambers there? - asked the Human, immediately following up with something less rhetoric - What do these cards mean? Bear, Paladin, Winged Serpent...?
The half-orc woman says nothing, but her eyes harden unconsciously when Lamm's name is mentioned.
Amyra is no longer smirking, or cracking jokes. Her expression grows hard as the air around her starts to get hot. "Fine. I'll go along and help you save this godsforsaken city. But I get to talk to Lamm."
Rake steps forward and eyes Amyra "Wait in line lady! Lamm's mine." he says with a growl.
Then turns to Alika. "This could be a trick." He's suspicious and nervous but covers it with anger.
"You can tear him to pieces for all I care gent. But not til I get answers to all of my questions. I'm sure that if any of us could get to Lamm alone, we'd have done it by now. So we've got nothing to lose by helping each other out."
Amyra looked around the room again, stopping briefly at each of the other four who were called. Each of them was a vaguely familiar face, some much more than others. She'd even had a conversation or two with Tess before. Hard to imagine that this lot all had a secret like hers, but then, anyone could have said the same about her.
"Maybe it's about time we had introductions. Proper ones. Any volunteers?"
Grudingly Rake crosses his arms and says "Well.. I guess you have a point there." he concedes.
When Amyra asks for volunteers for introductions he remains quiet. Curious to find out who's who.
"My name is Tess, and I run a bar called the Laughing Azlanti, but most people just call it the Azlanti in Northpoint. Let's just say that I owe Gaedrin Lamm a debt, and I am anxious to pay."
Qot keeps his silence for moments, letting the others exchange words and introductions. Finally, though, the nobleman speaks.
I'm Qot La'Jal, Duke of the Jallear archipelago attached to Korvosa. - he had the typical accent and posture typical of his nobility status - ... And I'm willing to lend my prestige and possessions towards the common goal of cleaning these streets from scum like Gaedren Lamm.
"While I appreciate you speaking up, that's not exactly what I had in mind. We are all here because of our secrets, aren't we? My card was very clear about that. So let me go first." With a snap of her fingers (and a bit of prestidigitation), Amyra's hair turned from jet black to a blaze of red and orange. "Most only know me as a bard from South Shore. But the Nails have kindly given me another nickname. They call me the Scourge of Korvosa."
The Midwife that died in the fire... the tale sounded tantalizingly familiar but Andras was so stunned by the supernatural spectacle that any details have escaped his mind. He kept silent as the possessed girl spoke, and only after she finished the realization started slowly dawning on him. Carefully, he reached into his sack and produced the charred Harrow card.
"The Paladin... So it was you who sent this to me? To.. us?" He looks into the faces of the others, waiting to catch a glimpse of recognition. His outward appearance doesn't change but his facial expression becomes fearsome with repressed anger and the clenched fists cause powerful muscles to bulge under his sleeves.
"My name is Andras Teoss. Lamm has a lot to answer for before me as well. His bribes have cost me my job, and his goons have deprived me of my home and family. The evil he brings to Korvosa must be buried - and as The Final Nail I will use every chance to ensure this is done."
"Very well, I shall come clean too. I'm also known, at least by the Korvosan guard, as the Avenging Angel. I know, I know, it's a terrible name, but I didn't make it up, they did. I've been trying to capture Lamm for almost two years now without success. That ends tonight, however."
You have heard that the Avenging Angel is a Varisian Human woman.
"Rake. Rake Archolme." Rake says as he looks around at the gathered company.
Then after a moment of sizing them up his eyes go narrow and he says.
"Crimson Shrike."
"So, now that we have been brought together, what are our plans for getting to Lamm? Are we doing a frontal assault, or sneaking into his place?"
Having noticed the reactions from the others when Lamm's name is mentioned, Tess will add "I just want to make this perfectly clear: I do not kill, and were one of you to attempt to kill him I would have to stop you. He needs to be brought to justice, and serve prison time for his crimes."
With another snap of her fingers, Amyra was back to her usual appearance. No need keeping up the hair if she wasn't putting on the whole outfit. "If we bust in through the front door, there's a chance he might escape. I say we find a way to sneak in, and take him out quick and quiet. I'll scout the place out and see if there's a better way inside."
------
After everyone has decided on their role: "We should decide on a meeting place where we can share intel. Somewhere neutral where we won't be noticed coming and going."
"I have a place, but it's sort of a private place that I would ask you not to show anyone."
Very well. We should go and strategize accordingly. We might be able to get plans for the Old Fishery - and find a way to quickly invade and deal with Lamm and his goons.